# Chianti



## [email protected] (Jun 25, 2007)

I was gifted a bottle of wine today. I have a good foundation knowledge of cigars, but I know absolutley NOTHING about wine. Should I drink it or put it away. I have always been interested in learning about and collecting wine/liquer. I know it's just a $10 bottle of wine, but hey a collection has to start somewhere right? I need to look up storage conditions for wine....humm another expensive hobby!

DELLATORRI CHIANTI 2004


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## mosesbotbol (Sep 21, 2005)

Do you have a place to store wine? 

I tend to buy wine for storage strictly by the case; it's easier to store and track.

You're correct, every collection starts out with one bottle. 

Make sure you try what you want to store first unless you are going on an expert's recommendation.

Port and madeira are easier to store because they are less fragile than wine.


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## Mark C (Sep 19, 2007)

[email protected] said:


> I need to look up storage conditions for wine....humm another expensive hobby!
> 
> DELLATORRI CHIANTI 2004


All those VinoTemps everybody around here has full of cigars work pretty good for storing wine too :tu

Typically you want to store wine for long-term aging ~55 F. There are lots of varying opinions, but in general shoot for 55 and don't worry about minor swings here and there. You want a place with a fairly constant temperature, and avoid sunlight. Most importantly, lay the bottle on its side if it has a cork. The cork needs to be wet to work properly. If it has a screw top, upright storage is fine. You don't need anything fancy. My basement stays constant at ~65 F, I store most of my wine in the cardboard box it came in. The temperature isn't 100% ideal, but it's all I can do and seems to be working out fairly well. Besides, I tend to drink it fast enough it probably doesn't matter anyway.

Once you open the bottle, drink it quickly. You can keep an open bottle in the fridge for a few days, but it'll start to go downhill after that. I try to drink open reds within 3 days, whites seem to last a little longer in the fridge, usually at least a week for my tastes.

To get started with wine, find a local liquor store that has free tastings. Most of them have a distributor rep come in on Fridays or Saturdays with 3 or 4 open bottles to sample. It's a good way to try a few different kinds of wine side-by-side, and it's free! If you taste something you like, buy a bottle or two.

You could also look for local wineries if you're in the right area. They all have tasting events, tours, open houses, etc. throughout the year. That's another great way to try a number of different wines at the same time.


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## Corona Gigante-cl (Sep 8, 2005)

Drink it, in good company, with a nice lasagna.


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## volfan (Jul 15, 2006)

it goes well with Fava beans too.........CLARICE


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## muziq (Mar 14, 2005)

Corona Gigante said:


> Drink it, in good company, with a nice lasagna.


:tpd: Not sure about that particular vinter, but you're just as likely to enjoy it now as you might in a year or so. Some wines go very nicely with a cigar, too :tu I think a chianti might be nice with a Hemingway, or, if you happen to have one, a Monte 2...


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## Corona Gigante-cl (Sep 8, 2005)

volfan said:


> it goes well with Fava beans too.........CLARICE


Mmmmm... liver, fava beans, and a nice chianti!


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## JohnnyFlake (May 31, 2006)

[email protected] said:


> I was gifted a bottle of wine today. I have a good foundation knowledge of cigars, but I know absolutley NOTHING about wine. Should I drink it or put it away. I have always been interested in learning about and collecting wine/liquer. I know it's just a $10 bottle of wine, but hey a collection has to start somewhere right? I need to look up storage conditions for wine....humm another expensive hobby!
> 
> DELLATORRI CHIANTI 2004


*Drink it, that is not a wine to be stored, long term.* Do yourself a favor and get yourself a few good books on wine and wine aging/storage. Unlike cigars, wines that are not designed for long term aging, will go bad after a few years. Most wines are meant to be consumed within a few years of their release. other wines have the structure to age and improve for several years, others for 5 to 10 & even 20 years and still others for 30 plus years.

There are literally thousands of wines available, and hundreds more become available every year. There are many, many good every day wines that go very well with your meals in the $5 / $10 range, and even more lovely enjoyable wines in the $10 / $25 range. Most wines within those price ranges should be consumed within 2 / 5 years of their release. It's a whole different world when you start spending $30 plus for a bottle of wine. Wine Spectator is a key magazine that should be subscribed to, if your truly interested in collecting and storing wine, or even just finding good valued wines for daily consumption.


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## [email protected] (Jun 25, 2007)

Thanks guys! Big help!! Esspecially "MarkC" I didn't know that once open you had to consume it. I would have assumed that I could put the cork back in and stick back in storage. okay:

55 degrees good
sunlight bad! 

got it!!!


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## Mark C (Sep 19, 2007)

Glad I could help. If you like to read, pick up a copy of Kevin Zraly's "Windows on the World". It's a very easy read, yet very informative.


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## Darrell (Aug 12, 2007)

volfan said:


> it goes well with Fava beans too.........CLARICE


AHHHHHH bastage, you stole my joke. :r


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## mosesbotbol (Sep 21, 2005)

[email protected] said:


> Thanks guys! Big help!!
> 
> 55 degrees good
> sunlight bad!


Virtually all red wines should be served around 60 degrees, so just take out of the cellar, uncork, decant, and wait 10 minutes.

I've done a few experiments with wine and serving temperatures, and 60 seems to be the best single serving temperature for red wine and port. Go below that and fruit dies off, above it depends on which wine, but we are still just talking a couple of degrees. Some wines and port are actually better at 62-63 degrees.

***Don't drink red wine at room temperature***​


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## Mark C (Sep 19, 2007)

mosesbotbol said:


> Virtually all red wines should be served around 60 degrees, so just take out of the cellar, uncork, decant, and wait 10 minutes.
> 
> ***Don't drink red wine at room temperature***​


I'll agree, sort of. Below 60 is definitely too cold. My basement holds at 65, I don't mind my reds at that temperature (though I haven't really done side-by-side comparisons to be sure) but any warmer is too warm.

Definitely agree that they should be warmer than refrigerator/cellar temperature, and colder than room temperature.


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## mosesbotbol (Sep 21, 2005)

Mark C said:


> I'll agree, sort of. Below 60 is definitely too cold.


That's why I say 60 degrees, as the wine will always warm, but cooling can be more problematic.


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## Mark C (Sep 19, 2007)

mosesbotbol said:


> That's why I say 60 degrees, as the wine will always warm, but cooling can be more problematic.


Good point, thanks!


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## duhman (Dec 3, 2007)

Visiting wineries and tasting events is the best way to find out what you like in wines. I never had a collection until I started doing that. Day-night fluctuations in temperature and dry air and sunlight are wine killers. Dry air will suck the moisture through the corks. I have a concrete block corner of my basement fitted with metal racks and lined with insulation foam. I keep the best bottles in the cardboard cases. Cigars are a lot cheaper than wine. It is easy to have a wine collection worth thousands after a few years.


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## [email protected] (Jun 25, 2007)

found out that my local grocery store is having a wine tasting this weekend. I'm going to try to stop by. thanks for the advise!


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## [email protected] (Jun 25, 2007)

I think i'll stick with cigars...that stuff was nasty. ha ha tasted like paint thinner with berries in it. how do you people drink that stuff?!?


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## Mark C (Sep 19, 2007)

[email protected] said:


> I think i'll stick with cigars...that stuff was nasty. ha ha tasted like paint thinner with berries in it. how do you people drink that stuff?!?


You may have gotten the wine equivalent to a dog rocket. Just like with cigars, there are good bottles and bad bottles, good values and bad values. The trick is finding the right ones, and finding what you like. Also like cigars, it can be an acquired taste, particularly red wines (the full-bodied maduro equivalent).


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## Texan in Mexico (Oct 29, 2007)

I have that bottle, get it at the Europea down here, drink it! Learn what you like, build up a collection as you try different things, just my two cents...


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## duhman (Dec 3, 2007)

I live just down the road from two top notch wineries that have free tasting and beautiful picnic areas. Hey, that gives me an idea for a herf!
:bl:ss:ss:al:ss:ss:bl


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